A hello to all!
I have been scanning the site for a while and decided to join. I have a strange request about a 1985 Olds Cutlass Ciera. I have an elderly neighbor who has one that has less than 5,000 original miles. It has always been garaged and appears to be perfect. At 90 years old she is tired of it just sitting there and wants to sell it. She told me yesterday to try and sell it. The problem is, she believes this thing is worh $25K-$50K.
I tried to explain to her that it was a mass produced car and since it isn't a rare model, she would never get close to that. Can you folks help establish a base-line value on the car so I can share with her? How many were made would be a good starting point. All your help is appreciated! Thanks, Coolole'Olds

1985 Olds Cutlass Ciera - less than 5,000 miles (Near showroom condition)
2.5L 4 cylinder
cloth interior
am/fm/cassette radio with power antenna
wire hubcaps
navy blue exterior

 

Hi , welcome to CO. Maybe someone told her $2500 and she got it wrong? You might want to talk to one of her family members(son). Good luck.

 

Try NADA classic price guide online, there is no bump for low miles, most classics deemed as mileage exempt.

Pat

 

She has no children and the only family member we know of lives in Georgia and he is elderly as well. I guess you would have to know her. I hate to speak about her in a negative sense but she is one of those people who knows it all and/or has done it all. She is very sharp minded so it isn't a point of her mind being less than normal.
I told her it may be worth $2,000 - $4,000 and it was like I slapped her face. She then said if I knew anything about cars....it was not pretty. I reminded her that I sold Buicks, Oldsmobiles and Dodge brands for nearly ten years during the late 80's and early 90's and I did know cars. I then explained that since the car had sat unused for so long, a person would have to spend several hundred dollars just to get it on the road again. After that she seemed so angry I changed the subject. Thanks for the advice though.

 

Do a search of completed auctions on ebay.

 

An 87(?) was sold here by a local repair shop. V-6 garage kept by a single old teacher 77k miles $1100. If I saw it first it would be at my house.
Larry

 

The Old Cars Price Guide lists the value of an '85 Cutlass Ciera, V-6 or V-8, in #3 condition ("car show" but not showroom) at about $2100. In #2 condition (showroom), it's about $1000 more. Take about 5% off of these values because it has the less-desirable 4-cylinder engine.

DENT is right. It's more a $2500 car than a $25,000 one.

The owner is undoubtedly suffering from the misconception that the fact that it's simply old and in good condition automatically makes it a highly desirable car that will get tens of thousands of dollars. She needs to be disabused of this notion.

If she won't budge, just wait a little while and buy it from her estate.

 

There are very few cars made in 1985 worth over $10,000 in perfect condition, and this isn't one of them....at all...maybe if she had a 5,000 mile Mercedes 560SL or something comparable.
Heck, it's not even a rear-wheel drive Cutlass.

 

That statement in bold gets a Bingo from me. I explained to her that I own a (don't laugh) 2001 Isuzu Vehicross Ironman that has 53,000 miles and if I'm correct, they only imported those for 3 years (maybe 6,000 total sold) with a little over 600 with the Ironman package. Even with those super low numbers, there is not a huge demand for the car and it may be worth $5,500 - $9,000 only to the right person. I appreciate all the input and I will share this with her. Wish me luck because she will be fuming!

 

THREE things have to be true for an old car to have significant value.

1. Good condition.
2. Rare.
3. Desirable.


This car meets the first two but not the third. Many people with an old car automatically assume that if the first two are true, the third automatically becomes true, but that's not the case.

If it were, all those F-85 and Cutlass 4-doors from the '60s would be valuable today if they're in any kind of shape because they're so rare. But few people want a four-door, so these cars, when they're found, don't fetch much money even though they might be in great shape.

 

Heck, I'd pay $25,000 for a 1985 Ciera with a V8, considering that these FWD cars only came with a four or V6.

Yet another reason why I don't pay a lot of attention to these price guides.

 

Blame this one on me. The OCPG correctly shows only a V-6 available in the Ciera. I confused it with the line right below which was for the Delta 88's.

 

x100 on the confusion between 2500 and 25000.
I bought my first car the same way. It was a 1984 ciera 4 banger with only 4000 miles. Paid $4000 in 1994. It lasted 10 more years and 125k miles before the rust took it off the road.